If your child experiences a head injury in an accident or a fall, he or she may be at risk for an epidural hematoma.
Epidural hematomas can happen when the head suffers some type of trauma and blood builds up between the skull and the dura mater, which is basically a system of membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.
With this buildup of blood, pressure on the brain will occur because the blood does not have anywhere else to go. Swelling can also result with epidural hematomas, which are found in 1-3 percent of all head injuries and of those, approximately 15-20 percent of patients will succumb to the traumatic injury.
These types of epidural bleeds happen immediately following the injury and the blood gathers rapidly. It can take up to eight hours for the bleeding to reach its limit, ranging from 25 to 75 cubic centimeters of blood. The more blood that results from the head injury, the more severe the injuries have potential to be. When the bleeding reaches its maximum level, the dura will cave in from the pressure and result in a severe headache. Loss of consciousness and potentially damaging pressure on the brain stem may occur.
Head Injuries Linked to Bicycle Accidents and Falls
Nearly 50 percent of all head injuries that occur in sports result from bicycling, skateboarding or skating accidents.
Falls are now the leading cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among children up to age 14, with approximately 400,000 children hospitalized and requiring treatment for TBIs each year.
The importance of your child wearing a bicycle helmet cannot be stressed enough, as 285,600 kids up to age 14 are treated annually in the U.S. for injuries related to biking. Just about half of those injured experienced a TBI.
Please take the necessary time to ensure your child has a helmet that fits properly when out riding a bike in order to help prevent a brain injury.
When You Need to Talk to a Boston Child Brain Injury Attorney
When your child has sustained a life-altering severe brain injury, you shouldn’t have to pay for ongoing medical care and treatment. A serious head or brain injury may require lifelong care and financial support. Accepting a settlement offer without the guidance of a skilled Boston child injury attorney can leave you and your child ill prepared for the road ahead. Your child deserves a legal team who is experienced in handling child brain injury cases in Massachusetts and one who can ensure that he or she will receive fair compensation for his or her brain injury.
So, before you sign any insurance claim forms, give a recorded statement to the insurance adjuster, or agree to a settlement offer, schedule your FREE case evaluation today by calling 800-930-8145. You can also learn more about how to best handle your child’s injury by requesting a FREE copy of our Massachusetts child injury book.
